The world of computer hardware products is in many respects a dark and
dismal place when it comes to computer user freedom: graphics
processors, network controllers, and even the low-level boot systems
of most computers use proprietary software. However, we know that this
situation is not due to a lack of demand from users for hardware that
respects them. People want this, but in the absence of options, have
just resigned themselves to accepting mistreatment.

If you did not know, built into all modern Intel-based platforms is a
small, low-power computer subsystem called the Intel Management Engine
(ME). It performs various tasks while the system is in sleep mode,
during the boot process, and also when your system is running.